Sounding Board
by cndrow
Summary: Leo uses Alex as a sounding board when they get rare quality time alone together.  Warnings: oneshot; set sometime during my fanfic 'Déjà Vu All Over Again'; contains allusions to tcest.


Disclaimer & Warnings:  
I do not own the Turtles, as much as I would love to.  
*Contains allusions turtlecest.*  
Oneshot.  
Setting:  
Another glimpse into Alex and her boys' lives after my fanfic 'Three Little Words' ended.

Gift fic for Saya the Awesome Ninja Cat! Love ya, grrrl! :3

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Sounding Board

Alex hummed to herself as she dumped a load of towels on the couch, tossing the hamper to the side. She glanced up, startled as she heard Leo trudging down the stairs to pad over to her.

"Alex? Why aren't you at the party?" he asked, then hid a cough behind a hand.

"Well…" She shifted her weight and he frowned at her.

"You didn't have to stay and baby-sit me," Leo sighed, shoving the towels from one end of the couch and sitting heavily.

"I know. But Donnie told me to stay."

"He did?"

"Yes," Alex chuckled, clearing a space on the table to start folding. "He told me he didn't want to hear me ask 'Do you think Leo is okay?' every ten minutes while we were there." She watched him with concern as he fell into a coughing fit, offering him her bottle of water.

"Thank you," he muttered, sipping it gently. "It's just a chest cold."

"I know that as well. But you only get sick when you're not sleeping." She gave him a pointed look. "What's really going on with you and Raph? This fight is lasting longer than normal."

Leo shrugged. "What it boils down to is we're both stubborn asses."

"Again with stuff I already know," she smiled, patting his hand fondly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"You know me. I'm riddled with insecurities, and occasionally they really irritate him." He returned her smile. "I worry that he deserves better than myself."

"Oh geez," Alex said, rolling her eyes. "Like Donnie?"

"Yes."

"So Raph gets all defensive and thinks you're basically insulting both his trust and intelligence."

"Y- Yes," Leo repeated, his smile growing. "I assume you've been through this with Donnie?"

"Often enough to have it memorized," she said dryly. "Leo, it _is_ insulting. Really. It just screams that you don't even trust him to tie his own bandana."

"But that's _not_ what I mean," Leo replied vehemently, then coughed hard.

"The fact remains Raph and I would take it that way."

Leo sighed again, nodding at her. "I should accept that fact and move on. Because he gets upset, and then _I_ get upset, then he feels hurt, and we say things we don't mean, and now he's at the party and I'm at home, sick."

Alex squeezed his hand. "It'll be alright. He always comes around."

"I just want to break the cycle," Leo said honestly. "I need to get past this. I _do_ trust him."

"Good," she smiled.

"May I ask you a question?"

"But of course."

Leo tilted his head. "Why did Raph and I's relationship never bother you?"

"Oh, that." Alex chuckled. "Well, this is my own opinion now, Leo. There are a vast number of theories about this subject."

"I want to know yours."

"It never bothered me because…" She paused, stroking his hand again. "I don't believe you should place a label on love. Love cannot fit in a box. And anything that brings more positive emotions into the world _cannot_ be all that wrong. You two are a fine example of just that." She gave him a wink. "And I'll stand by what I said originally; I think it's _hot._"

Leo laughed with her. "I will have to agree with you on all points."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Alex tending to the towels and Leo sipping the water thoughtfully. Their reverie was broken by the lair door slamming open, Raphael storming into the room in a furious whirl.

Leo leaned back to look up as Raph stopped behind him.

"Are ya still mad?" Raph said abruptly.

"No," Leo replied quietly.

Alex quickly busied herself with the folding, ducking her head to hide her gaze.

"Good. 'Cause I ain't neither. Know why?"

"Please, enlighten me."

Raph spared a glance at Alex, then shook his head, coming to a silent conclusion. "'Cause I love you. And dammit, nothin' you say is gonna make me change my mind."

Alex's eyes snapped to Raph's; Leo had told her he would whisper those three little words at times, but always away from anyone else. As if sensing her thoughts, Raph pointed at her without averting his eyes from Leo's.

"An' everyone knows I do, so I may as well say it in the open."

"Raph," Leo whispered, his eyes dark and full as he reached up to him. "You know I love you too?"

"Ch'yeah." Raphael snorted as he bodily pulled Leo up and over the back of the couch.

Leo gave him a confused look.

"I'm takin' ya to bed, jungle boy," Raph grinned.

Leo's eyes narrowed at the nickname. "But- But Raph, I just got up twenty minutes ago-,"

"Leo, yer so _thick_ sometimes. It's adorable _and_ frustratin'."

"Oh," Leo said meekly.

Alex traded bemused smiles with Leo as he was half-dragged up the stairs. Once they were out of sight, she snagged her coat from a nearby chair and ran to the exit. She had a party to catch, and a husband to get tipsy!

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[Author's Note]  
I... I can't stop writing drabbles with 'Competition's Leo and Raph. D: They won't leave me alone!  
Not sure what it is in particular about this story, but I _love_ it. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I just had to share it!


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